


Oxygen to the Brain, Blood to the Heart

by BelovedCreation



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Swan Secret Survivors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-10 01:29:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2005821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelovedCreation/pseuds/BelovedCreation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For my Captain Swan Secret Survivor, allyargynt, who asked for an emergency services AU!</p>
    </blockquote>





	Oxygen to the Brain, Blood to the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> For my Captain Swan Secret Survivor, allyargynt, who asked for an emergency services AU!

Emma Swan had seen many firefighters carry people out of burning wreckages in her five years as an EMT. Children, the elderly, even a kitten once. But that night, at nearly three in the morning, when a broad-shouldered man carried his fellow firefighter out of a flaming townhouse, tossed the man onto a stretcher, and pulled off his helmet, Emma was surprised to see how damn  _irritated_ the dark-haired rescue worker looked.

"He needs oxygen," the man grumbled before stalking back to the truck and the group that had gathered around it.

When Emma tugged the helmet off of the prone fighter, understanding started to dawn. The unconscious man laying before her looked nearly identical to the man who had just stomped away in a huff.  _Brothers, obviously_. Emma hadn't had the privilege of growing up with siblings of any kind, but familial love wasn't a completely foreign concept. She had seen enough mothers clutching children's hands in the back of the ambulance, enough tear-stained faces bent over lovers' feet. That kind of affection made people do strange and wonderful things, especially when lives were on the line and adrenaline was pumping. Chemicals liked to heighten emotion and cloud judgment.

Emma's job was to keep calm under pressure and save lives.

With practiced ease, Emma secured the oxygen mask on the firefighter's face, hands softly caressing his stubbled cheek and smoothing down his tousled dark hair. It was hard to see through the soot, but Emma was pretty sure this man was hot stuff. The kind of man candy that always ended up on Storybrooke's annual firefighter calender. She was just starting to wonder if sleeping hottie needed more medical attention when his dark lashes started to flutter. When his eyes slid open and Emma's gaze locked with forget-me-not blue eyes, she involuntarily gulped.

_Yup. Total hottie._

* * *

 

Killian awoke from the deep blackness to an angel looking down at him.

He blinked once, twice, trying to clear the fuzziness from his vision. The pain in his lungs and soreness in his arms meant that he probably wasn't dead. But that didn't explain the dazzling blonde giving him a tender look. A few more blinks and he realized she was wearing the uniform of an EMT.

_He had passed out. Right._

With as much energy he could muster, Killian reached up to pull the oxygen mask off of his face. He took a deep breath of the late fall air and enjoyed the brisk coolness that entered his lungs.

"How are you feeling?" the blonde asked.

Killian licked his dry lips. "I feel a bit like a marshmallow, love. Like I've been held over a fire."

She smirked and raised a slim eyebrow. "I bet you taste good with chocolate, though."

 _Was this angel flirting with him?_ Killian licked his lips again, preparing to insinuate all manner of things about her body and chocolate when he felt a sharp punch on his shoulder.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking, Killian?" Liam's stern voice accompanied the physical assault and Killian had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. He started to sit up but was harshly shoved down again by his older and much more annoying brother. "Oh no, brother, you are going to lie there like the idiotic lieutenant that you are."

"Liam, I was only-"

"That's Captain Jones to you, Killian!"

"Captain Jones," Killian growled between his clenched teeth, his annoyance with his brother starting to climb, "I believed the situation was safe and I was compelled to retrieve an item of great importance." He reached into the deep pocket of his turnout coat and pulled out a small photo album.

Liam's hand closed around the book. "Lieutenant Jones, this was a very stupid move on your part."

Killian glanced briefly at the blonde angel, who was listening intently, and lowered his voice, imploring Liam to understand. "Brother. She said that these were the only images she had of her wedding fifty years ago. She was afraid that she would forget what her husband looked like." Liam followed Killian's gaze to the tiny widow sobbing on the sidewalk, gnarled hands covering her devastated face. Killian knew that Liam would understand his particular sympathies.

Liam tugged the photo album out of Killian's hand, and with a glare that had lost its venom, cautiously approached the broken woman. The look on her face when he handed her the album was worth the pressure on Killian's lungs and the guilt from his brother's ire.

"So your brother's the new fire captain?"

He was pulled out of his daze by the blonde. Catching her eye again, Killian couldn't help but smile. Perhaps there was something else to be gained from helping a poor widow out.

* * *

 

This all had to have been orchestrated. No one could look that good and be willing to foolishly sacrifice their life for a little old lady. He was either an idiot or as perfect as he seemed.

Emma was really hoping for idiot.

The young firefighter (or Lieutenant Killian Jones if Emma had heard correctly) was smiling up at her like she had hung the moon. "Why yes he is, love. Captain Liam Jones. And he dragged along his younger and much more handsome brother." He held up a sooty hand for her to shake. "Killian Jones at your service."

"Emma. Emma Swan." She shook his hand and studiously ignored the way his warm skin made her whole arm glow. And the way that his dazzling blue eyes were twinkling like he knew something she didn't. And the way his lips looked rather kissible.

She was ignoring all of that.

"Emma Swan," he rolled the name off his tongue, as if testing it out. "Emma. Swan." He winked playfully. "Sounds like a fairytale princess name."

Emma had to snort at that one. "I most definitely am  _not_ a fairytale princess. Now why don't you try sitting up. Or would you rather waste all of your energy flirting?"

Killian slowly rose, swinging his body around so his legs hung off the end of the stretcher. He grunted in offense. "Flirting is never a waste of energy. Especially with a fair maiden such as yourself." He smiled cheekily and Emma couldn't stop herself from gulping again. The young firefighter was dangerous. Much too dangerous.

"Well, now that you're sitting up, I think you'll be fine." Emma started to back away. "I'm going to go check on-"

"Oh no you don't!" Killian wrapped a dirty hand around Emma's wrist and tugged her back towards the stretcher. "I still have an itch in my lungs, love," he moaned pathetically, attempting a horribly fake-sounding cough. Emma couldn't help but smile. "I need someone to nurse me back to health."

"I can take you to the hospital," Emma retaliated. "My friend David is the nurse on duty tonight and I'm sure he'd be glad to tend to your wounds."

Killian's head canted to the side. "Depends. Is he dashing?"

"The dashing-est."

"Then perhaps he is the fellow for me. Although," Killian drawled, his grip on her arm tightening, "I do prefer the tender touch of the fairer sex."

Emma leaned forward involuntarily. "Oh, I bet you do."

His eyebrows rose is mock indignation. "I feel as though you are about to accuse me of something."

She carefully pulled her hand out of his grip. "I don't need to accuse you of anything. You just got to town. Plenty of women to flirt with and hearts to break." Emma tucked a stray hair behind her ear and walked over to check on Mrs. Anderson. Killian's shout followed behind her and brought another smile to her face.

"The only heart that will be broken is mine if you don't meet me at Granny's Diner for dinner tomorrow night at 6!"

* * *

 

At 5:45 the next night Killian arrived at Granny's.

At 5:58 he broke out in a sweat.

At 6:04 Emma walked into the diner and his heart skipped a beat.

At 6:07 the waitress came to take their order and kept winking at Emma. Emma ignored her.

At 6:10 Killian realized that he was in love with Emma.

At 6:16 their pagers went off simultaneously.

 

"Collapsed building on Drury Lane." She looked up at him with an intensity in her eyes that Killian knew matched his own. This was a woman who had a passion for saving lives and helping others.

"Shall we go together? I can drive." He was already standing up, digging into his pocket for his car keys.

"I got it," she waved him off, leading the way to the parking lot, "I know the town better than you do."

Killian bit his lip to hold back a smile. "That you do. But I'm a quick study."

Emma whipped her head back to catch his eye, blonde hair flying and green eyes flashing. "Then I can't wait to teach you."


End file.
